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Fundraising ideas

We’ve got the best fundraising ideas for good causes of all shapes and sizes! Check out our curated lists or browse all fundraising ideas below by cost, effort, and impact.

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Candy grams


Buy some crowd-favorite candies and charge supporters to send these sweet treats to a chosen recipient along with a heartfelt note. To streamline the process, have donors fill out custom fields on your donation form with their personal notes and recipient addresses.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Sports clinic


Host a sports clinic or skills camp for participants to learn from top coaches, pro players, or other notable experts. Depending on the scale of your clinic, you can sell several tickets to the public or offer just a few spots as a big-ticket silent auction item at a fundraising event.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/sports-clinic
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Three point contest

Request a minimum donation for event attendees to participate. Each team shoots shoots from behind the three-point. The winning team is the one with the most points when the time goes off. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/three-point-contest
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Pages & forms

Street food stand

Bring in donations with the sizzling smells and sweet treats from a street food stand.  

Partner with a local restaurant or food truck, or set up your own stall for the day. Want to strike up a relationship with a local restaurant? Use our sponsorship proposal guide to get started! 
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/street-food-stand
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Craft sale

Turn your community’s talents into funds for your cause by hosting a craft sale. Ask volunteer crafters to donate some of their goods or ask for a percentage of their profits in return for promoting and hosting the event.

Want to make an even bigger impact? Auction off some larger or more in-demand items.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/craft-sale
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Staff vs. students


Organize an afternoon of relay races, obstacle courses, and brain teasers at your school and challenge teachers to partake. Be sure to create a fun and engaging event page where attendees can easily purchase tickets!
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/staff-vs-students
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Events

Trivia night

At this crowd-favorite activity, you can come up with fun questions, charge entry fees for teams, and raise extra money by providing sweet and salty snacks.

Make the evening go even smoother with seamless attendee check-ins and easy payment options like Tap to pay, Venmo donations, and scan-to-donate. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/trivia-night
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Special series


Create programming for a special series of sermons designed to help raise money for your current fundraising project.

Tie sermons directly to your goal and reach more supporters by livestreaming right from your fundraising page. Anyone can tune into the stream, make a donation, and learn about your campaign all in one place.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/special-series
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Events
Pages & forms

Murder mystery night

Arrange a classic "whodunnit" event in which your guests roleplay to find out who the criminal within the group is. 

Use easy event ticketing features to register guests online and check them in quickly with your mobile app to get the festivities started sooner! 
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/murder-mystery-night
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Events

Street clean up

Use the longer days of summer to your advantage by organizing a street clean-up to keep your neighborhood looking fresh and welcoming. 

Partner with local businesses to sponsor the day and encourage donations toward your charity or group. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/street-clean-up
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Field goal derby

Invite fans to donate to see how many field goals they can make in a minute (use a smaller goalpost for kids!). Have each participant create a personal peer-to-peer fundraising page and reach out to friends and family for support!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/field-goal-derby
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Events
Peer-to-peer

Adopt-a-mile fundraiser


Raise funds for a mission trip by asking congregation members to “adopt a mile.” This is a fun way to tie your fundraising activity into the experience and drive donations closer to your goal.

Highlight how close you are to reaching your target by displaying a live goal bar on your fundraising page, where the fundraising goal total equals the number of miles.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/adopt-a-mile-fundraiser
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Earth Day

Reserve an indoor or outdoor space and invite your community to come arrange flower bouquets and pot their own plants to celebrate Earth Day (April 22). 

Charge an entrance fee and make your fundraising event move smoothly with mobile app check-in and easy scan-to-donate payment options. 
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/earth-day
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Pages & forms

Pumpkin carving contest


See who can carve or decorate the best pumpkin while raising funds for your group or cause. Award prizes in different categories like kids, families, and most talented adults.

Make it easy as pumpkin pie to vote for the winners with a small donation using text-to-donate.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pumpkin-carving-contest
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Events
Peer-to-peer

Tell cancer to take a hike


Grab your walking shoes and show cancer who’s boss with a charity walk or hike. Charge a small entry fee and encourage teams to raise additional funds through peer-to-peer fundraising.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/tell-cancer-to-take-a-hike
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Harvest dinner party

Host a grand harvest or Thanksgiving dinner party for special guests. Raise money through exclusive ticket sales, and use corporate sponsorship best practices to secure a partnership with a local restaurant or catering company.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/harvest-dinner-party
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Events

Swim-a-thon


Swap your sneakers for a swimsuit or trunks and host a swim-a-thon to raise money for your cause. Set a route that feels achievable, and invite participants to create their own peer-to-peer fundraising pages to help you reach your goal.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/swim-a-thon
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Events
Peer-to-peer

Secret supper

Sell tickets to a dining experience where guests purchase tickets to a "secret" location revealed only hours before the event. Use free texting software to send updates to attendees and inform them of the location.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/secret-supper
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March Madness


Raise money while cheering on your favorite NCAA players with a bracket competition culminating in a ticketed March Madness watch party.

To take this fundraising idea online, take advantage of livestreaming tools, too!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/march-madness
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Peer-to-peer

Literary pub crawl

Each stop on this bar-hopping adventure features readings or performances inspired by famous works of literature related to a given theme—poems, books, plays, you name it! 

To take this fundraising event further, arrange to have each watering hole feature a special cocktail or brew (with some non-alcoholic beverages in the mix!) to match your theme. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/literary-pub-crawl
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School auction

Source quality school-related items, such as backpacks and shoes, and auction them off during a virtual, in-person, or hybrid event. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/school-auction
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Auctions

Community service day

Organize volunteers to participate in a day of community care—tackling local projects and tasks in exchange for donations from your community members. 

Showcase every project or fundraiser you’re working on using a central giving hub, so supporters can see all your amazing work in one place.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/community-service-day
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Pages & forms

You name it

Come up with a creative fundraiser with a catchy name like “Pancakes for Parents” brunch or a “Chicken Wings for Cheerleaders.” To get supporters excited, create a custom fundraising page full of on-theme photos, videos, ands more! 
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/you-name-it
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Yard raking


Set up a yard raking service in exchange for donations toward your good cause.

Follow best practices for volunteer recruitment to build a loyal community of supporters ready to pitch in for yardwork and more.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/yard-raking
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Auctions
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